Can you believe Valentine’s Day is right around the corner? It’s time to book an intimate dinner with your sweetie. I just finished writing our menu for Valentine’s Day. It’s $95 and includes four courses with wine pairings. There are three options from each course from which you can choose. If you have any special dietary needs, just let us know when you make your reservation.

We already have 40 reservations booked, so you may want to call us sooner rather than later.

I wanted to give you all a heads up about a special dinner series that will feature Thierry Rautureau, Johnathan Sundstrom, Jason Wilson, Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez, Holly Smith and yours truly. From February through May, and in September and October, we will all gather at the designated restaurant to prepare a six-course dinner. It’s quite the line-up! We’re still wrapping up the details and specific dates, but I just had to share it with you because I thought you might be just as excited as I am about this. It will be a blast to all cook together in the same kitchen on six different occasions!

I will keep you all posted. But, if you want to be the first ones to make reservations for the six-course dinner that will be at the Tilth, just send me an email at mhines@tilthrestaurant.com and I’ll personally make the reservation for you. I don’t know the date quite yet, but it will be on a Monday in March at 6 p.m.

We’ve really enjoyed featuring local producers on Monday nights for our prix fixe menu. But due to popular demand, we will offer the regular menu on Monday nights starting January 12. Check out our January menus here.

What a year it’s been! We started out with a life-changing review from Frank Bruni of The New York Times. We are grateful to everyone who helped make our 2007 strong enough to attract the attention of one of the most well-known restaurant critics in the country. That review granted us a bustling 2008, which in turn allowed us to purchase additional equipment needed to be able to prepare more ingredients sous vide and to remodel our patio. In September, we added a veganmenu (current menu), which has been pretty popular. More recently, we enclosed our porch to create the “little bar,” which provides a cozy space for guests waiting for a table or for those who just want a quick nibble and sip.

These past few months, with the economy the way it is, have been tough for everyone. It has been a sobering reminder that, even with an endorsement from the NYT, no one can rest on her laurels. We are most grateful for all that we have and we hope that those who haven’t been as fortunate are able to get back on their feet soon.

We look forward to 2009, our new president, and more opportunities to share Tilth with our guests.

About Valley Harvest Products
Ron Harris did not expect to be a spice man, but a neighbor who owned a spice company kept prodding him to give it a chance. He worked for 20 years at this spice company, which became known as Pacific Harvest. In August 2006, after purchasing the company from the owners, he reinvented it as Valley Harvest Products. Ron takes pride in sourcing the most consistent and high quality spices he can. While organic spices represent a small part of his business, Ron has been committed to finding the best products he can for Tilth.
Chef-Owner
Maria Hines

Since 1979, Pete Knutson and his wife, Hing Lau Ng, have fished the waters of Southeast Alaska and Puget Sound. Along the way, Knutson, who is also a PhD professor in anthropology at Seattle Central Community College, taught his two sons, Jonah and Dylan, the importance of respecting the sea and the beautiful salmon that they bring to the market. All the fish are caught, immediately processed and chilled to below freezing in order to maintain the pristine quality of the flesh. Then, the catch is flown back to Seattle within 48 hours of harvest, where people can buy the fish at a number of farmers markets and at the West Wall at Fishermen’s Terminal.